Pakistan Looks Towards The Irish For IT

(Pic: Albert Reynolds, Chairman of the Ireland Pakistan Business Council, with the Ambassador of Pakistan to Ireland, Toheed Ahmad and the Chairman of Griffith College, Diarmuid Hegarty is also Vice-Chairman of the Ireland Pakistan Business Council).

A statement here on Monday said that the event would be held in collaboration with the Embassy of Pakistan in Dublin, Ireland Pakistan Business Council (IPBC), Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Irish IT Industry and various other local partners.

It said that Ireland has emerged as the third leading global destination for ICT outsourcing activities after India and Canada, and is focusing on South Asia due to the huge IT outsourcing potential of regional states including Pakistan.

â€œ The visit would play a significant role in opening new vistas of collaboration between the companies of both the countries,â€ an official of Pakistan Software Export Board remarked.

The statement pointed out that the PSEB delegation comprises of ten member companies which are renowned in their respective areas of expertise. These companies include: ALPBusiness Services Management- distributors of highly skilled resources, execution capability, equipment and products to provide customers with low cost and highly profitable business solutions; Electronic Solutions Pakistan- specialising in E-Business and E-Government, retail, healthcare, resource management, and defence and military software; Msoft- providing new and innovative telecommunication products and services that increase business productivity and efficiency of their clients; Voxel Communications- provider of top notch offshore customer contact solutions; Acrologix-provider of comprehensive ERP solutions for Textile & Rice industries as well as industry solution provider for education, document management & archiving, mobile entertainment, B2B/B2C portals etc.; Kraysis- providing software quality assurance services; Softech- recognised expert in developing complex software products for the capital and financial sector; EfroTech-providing services for the development of software-based web and client server solutions and media presentations; Sofizar-specializing in bringing relevant search engine traffic as well as creation of brand identity and iNVATERRA- providing efficiency optimization services.

Pakistan has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies in the world with over 7% GDP during 2006-07 and 1000% growth in foreign direct investments.

â€œSoftware export activities by Pakistani companies are not only enhancing the countryâ€™s image abroad but are also having a positive impact on the IT export related earnings of the countryâ€, the official further said.

With an IT industry worth more than USD 2.8 billion, including annual exports worth USD 1.4 billion, Pakistan is eyeing to take this sector to the size of over USD 11 billion by 2011.

There are 1082 active IT companies in the country out of which 110 are ISO certified. Besides, the country has 110,000 IT professionals while its public R&D infrastructure employs more than 15,000 IT professionals in Defence and other areas. One of the main factors behind this sectorâ€™s rapid growth is that the Government of Pakistan allows foreign investors 100% ownership of equity and 100% repatriation of profits, as well as tax exemption for IT companies until 2016.

The Government also allows tax exemptions on export income from computer software and related services.

PSEB is a Government agency mandated to promote Pakistanâ€™s IT Industry including software, services, hardware and call centers locally and globally.

It regularly sponsors attendance by its member companies in International Trade Shows and Exhibitions that help companies showcase their capabilities and develop business contacts.

PSEB has been facilitating the IT industry through its programs in Human Capital, Office Space, Marketing, Company Capability Development, Telecom Bandwidth, Industry Finance, Public Policy, Strategy & Research, and Facilitation.